Card-cutting machine.



No. 643,895. T Patented Feb. 2o, |900.

T. soHLKE.

GARD CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application led Feb. 17, 1899..)

(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet l,

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No. 643,895. l v t Patented Feb. 20, |900. T. GOHLKE.. CARD CUTTINGMACHINE.

.(Applicgxtioxxl med Feb. 17, 1899.)

( No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2,

5 j ff No. 643,895. y. Patentd Feb. 2o, |900.

T. GoHLKE.

CARD CUTTING MACHINE.

y (Application led'Feb. 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3,

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No. 643,895. Patented Feb. 2o, |900.

T. GoH-L'KE.

cAnu cuTTlNG MACHINE.

(Application lved feb. 17, 1899.) (N0 MOBL) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

No.'643,895. Patented Feb. 20, |900.

' T. GOHLKE. y

CARD CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Feb. 17, 1899.)

(Ilo Nudel.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5..

UNITE) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE GOIILKE, 'OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CARD-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 643,895, datedFebruary 20, 1900.

Application filed February 17, 1899- Serial NoA 705,942, (No model.)

T0 all wwntit may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE GOHLKE, of

the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Card-O utting Machines, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to card-cutting machines; and it consists of thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved card-cutting machine. Fig. 2is a View in perspective 0f a pair of bell-cranks made use of incarrying out my invention.Y Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine,the mechanism on one side thereof being removed in order to more clearlyillustrate the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional Viewtaken approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlargedsectional view taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 andillustrating a pair of gripping-fingers. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionalview taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of a double eccentric. Fig. S is an en! larged side elevationof the forward end of the chute in which the cardboard strips are placedprevious to their delivery beneath the card-cutting die. Fig. 9 is anenlarged sectional view of the rear end of this cardboardstrip chute.Fig. 10 is a viewin perspective of a feeding device made use of infeedingv out the cardboard strips one at a time. Fig. 11 is a plan Viewof the forward end of the cardboard-strip chute and showing a stoplocated in front ofsaid chute. Fig. l2 is a transverse sectional viewtaken approximately on the line 12 12 of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a viewinperspective of a depression-iinger made use of in carrying out myinvention. Fig. 14 is a View in perspective of the lug carried by theend of the stop device illustrated in Fig. 12 and which is engaged bythe depression-finger. Fig. 15 is a vertical sectional view of thefeeding device shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 16 is a perspective View of thebell-cranks, arms, connecting-rods, and weights made use of in myinvention. Fig. 17 is a vertical sectional View of the feeding deviceshown in the act of feeding one or more of the strips of cardboard fromthe chute.

In the construction of my improved card- `shaft 9, and loosely arrangedupon said shaft between said bearings 8 is a wheel 10, which performsthe functions of both belt and balance wheels. A clutch 11, of anysuitable construction, is carried by one side of this wheel 10, saidclutch being adapted to engage an oppositely-arranged clutch upon theshaft 9, and a-spring-actuated rod 12 extends downwardly through thehollow standard 3 to the floor, thus providing means for throwing themachine into or out of operation.

Theconstruction and operation of the mechanism on eachside of themachine are identical. Therefore the subsequent description will belimited to the mechanism upon one side.

Located upon the outer end of the shaft 9 is a disk 13, and extendingoutwardly from Athe face thereof is a wrist-pin 14, upon which isjournaled a head 15, in which is seated the upper end of the rod 16.Rigidly xed upon the shaft 9, a short distance from this disk 13, is adouble eccentric 17, one of the faces thereof being slightly longer thanthe opposite face, and rigidly xed upon the shaft 9, to one side of thiseccentric 17, is an eccentric 18, around which passes a strap 19. Thiseccentric 18 is in -direct vertical alinement with the vertically-moving block 5, and a pivoted connecting-rod 2O connects said block 5 withthe strap 19.

Rigidly fixed to the front face of the upper end of the vertical bearing4 is a plate 21, the upper end of which is formed into ahorizontally-arranged bearing 22,and passingthrough said bearing is ashaft 23. Rigidly carried by the shaft 23, at the inner end of the bear-IOO ing 22, is a vertically-arranged bar 24, the lower end of whichextends downwardly to a point adjacent the top of the table l and theupper end of which extends to a point a slight distance above the shaft9. Journaled upon the shaft 23, at the outer end of the bearing 22, is abell-crank 25, the upper end of which is provided with an integral arm2G, the outer end of which carries a roller 27. This roller 27 ridesdirectly upon the long face of the double eccentric 17. Integral withthe forwardly-projecting portion of the bell-crank 25 is a bar 28, thesame extending in front of the bearing 22, and integral with the end ofsaid har 28 is a longitudinally-extending bar 29, the rear end of whichis journaled upon the shaft 23 outside the bar 24, and the forward endof said bar 29 is pivotally connected to the upper end of avertically-arranged rod 30. Rigidly fixed upon the outer end of theshaft 23, outside the bell-crank 25, is an arm 31, the upper end ofwhich carries a roller 32, that rides directly upon the short face ofthe eccentric 17.

Formed in the table 1,immediately beneath the die G, is an aperture 33,and seated upon the table around said aperture is a die-plate 34, thesame being provided with an aperture to correspond with the die 6.

Formed in the table l, immediatelyin front of the aperture 33, is atransverse slot 35, and xed to and extending forwardly from the frontedge of the table, in direct alinement with the aperture 33, is thecardboard-strip chute 36. Fixed to and extending upwardly from the table1, in direct alinement with the vertical side walls of the chute 36, isa pair of upwardly and rearwardly extending blocks 37, on the top sidesof which is arranged a plate 38. Screws 39 pass through slots formed inthe edges of this plate 38, said screws being seated in the blocks 37,and the upper end of said plate 38 is turned downwardly, and setscrews40 pass through said downwardly turned end and are seated in the upperends ot' the blocks 37. Springs 4l are located upon the outside faces ofthe lower ends of the blocks 37, and the free ends of said springs 4lengage lugs 42 formed on the outside edges of the plate 38, the tendencyof said springs 41 being to throw the plate 38 upwardly. Fulcrumed inthe slot 35, below the face of the table 1, is a stop-bar 43, with oneend of which is formed integral an upwardly-projecting lip 44, andintegral with the outer end of said stop-bar 43 is a lug 45, having aninclined top face.

Arranged to slide in suitable bearings 46 at the outside of thecardboard-strip chute 36 is a rod 47, the forward end of which extendsto a point in front of the blocks 37, and said forward end is providedwith a depression-finger 48, having an inclined lower face, whichengages against the inclined upper face of the 'lug 45 when the rod 47is moved rearwardly.

The rear end of this rod 47 extends to a point in front of the chute 3G,and adjustably located upon said front end is a block 49, which isprovided with a laterally-projecting finger 50. Adjustably located uponthis finger 50 is the feeding device, (seen in Figs. 10 and 15,) whichfeeding device consists of an anglo-block 51, the horizontal portion ofwhich is provided with a curved top face, and arranged for verticaladjustment upon the vertical member of this angle-block is a plate 52,the same being provided with a laterally-extending knife-edged plate 53,the same lying directly upon the top surface of the rear edge of thehorizontal portion of the angle-block 51. This knife-edged plate 53 isin direct horizontal alinement with the top surface of the bottom of thechute 3G, and when the entire device is carried rearwardly by themovement of the rod 47 the knife-edged plate 53 engages the lower one ofthe strips in the chute 36.

Projecting laterally from the side of the table 1, at a pointimmediately beneath the center thereof, is a pair of trunnions 54 and55. Rotatably arranged upon the trunnion 54 is a ratchet-wheel 5o', androtatably arranged upon said trunnion 54 outside said ratchetwheel is abell-crank 57. Pivotally held to the end of the vertical member of saidbellcrank 57 is a gravity-pawl 58, and pivotally held to the outer endof the horizontal niember of said bell-crank is a head 59, in which isseated the lower end of the rod 1o', previously mentioned.

Fulcrumed upon the trunnion 55 is a bellcrank GO, to the end of thevertical member of which is fulcrumed a connecting-bar 61, the forwardend of which is pivotally connected to the rod 47. A retractilecoil-spring G2 is secured to the elbow of this bell-crank GO, theopposite end of said spring being secured to a suitable point on theframe of the machine. Formed integral with the free end of thisbell-crank 60 is a lug G3, the same extending beyond the periphery ofthe ratchetwheel 56, and said lug is intended to be engaged by a pin G4,carried upon the side of said ratchet-wheel 56.

Extending longitudinally across the machine, at a point between theopening 33 therein and the hollow standard 3, is a rod 65, the samebeing arranged to slide in suitable bearings carried by the top of thetable l, and rigidly fixed upon the front end of said rod G5 is alaterally-projecting block 6G, and connecting this block 66 with thelower end of the vertically-arranged bar 24 is a connecting-rod G7.Extending parallel with the rod 65 and arranged for rotation in suitablebearings carried bythe top of the table 1 is a rockshaft 68, theopposite sides of the forward and rear end portions of which areflattened, as indicated by 69. Rigidly carried by the forward end ofthis rock-shaft 68 is a laterally-projecting arm 70, to the outer end ofwhich is pivotally connected the lower end of the rod 30, previouslymentioned.

A pair of bars 7l are journaled upon the rod G5 adjacent the frontbearing for said rod,

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which pair of bars extend laterally in front of the chute 36, and themeeting faces of said bars are provided with guide-strips 72, the samecurving outwardly and away from each Intel-posed between the bars 7l,adjacent the point where they are journaled upon the rod 65, is anexpansive coil-spring 73, and the rear ends of these bars 7l areextended rearwardly past the rock-shaft 68, and carried by the extremerear ends of said bars 71 and operating upon the dat surfaces 69 of therock-shaft 68 are antifriction-rollers 74. Passing through the extremeouter end of the top one of the bars 71 is a set-screw 75, the sameengaging upon the spindle of the upper one of the rollers 74. Thisspindle is located in a vertically-arranged slot 76, and by means ofsaid set-screw 75 the wear or lost motion between the rock-shaft 69 andthe rollers 74 may be taken up.`

A pair of bars 76, identical with the bars 71 just described, isarranged upon the rod 65 immediately behind the aperture 33, and the twosets of bars 7l and 76 operate simultaneously in the same manner andperform the function of clamping and feeding fingers.

A bracket 77 extends forwardly from the center of the table 1, saidbracket being provided in its forward end with a lateral extension 78.An adjustable stop 79 is carried by the rod 65, which limits the forwardmovement of said rod 65.

Extending upwardly from the bar 28 is an arm 80, and extendingrearwardly from the upper end of this arm and also the bar 24 areconnecting-rods 81, that are pivotally connected to the upper ends-ofbell-cranks 82, that are fulcrumed to the rear side of the bearing 8,the horizontal arms of said bellcranks being provided with weights 83.

These weighted bell-cranks cause the bar 24 and bell-crank 25 toreassume their normal positions after they have operated, as hereinafterdescribed.

The operation is as follows: A number of cardboard strips are located inthe chtite 36, after which the machine is set in operation, and witheach revolution of the shaft 9 the dies 6 will pass downwardly throughthe dieplate 34 and the rod 16 will be vertically reciprocated. Witheach upward movement of said rod 16 the bell-crank 57 will be actuatedand the pawl 58, carried thereby, will engage successively in thenotches of the ratchet-wheel 56. When said ratchet-wheel 56 has made onerevolution, the pin 64, carried thereby, will'engage the lug 63,formed'` on the bell-crank 60, and said bell-crank will be actuated, andin so doing the horizontallyarranged rod 47 will be thrown rearwardly aslight distance. With this rearward movement of the rod 47 the forwardedge of the knife-edgedplate 53 will engage the lower one of thecardboard strips and the same will be moved rearwardly through thechute, and

in so doing the rear end of said strip will pass beneath the plate 38,located upon the upper side of the blocks 37, which plate has previouslybeen set by the operation of the thumbscrews 40 to allow but a singlecardboard sheet to pass beneath the lower edge of said plate. When therod 47 moves rearwardly, the depression-finger 48, carried thereby, willengage the lug 45, depressing the same, together with the outer end ofthe stop-bar 43, thus elevating the inner end carrying the lip 44, andthus a stop to limit the movement of the rear end of the cardboard stripis formed. When the rod 47 moves forwardly or to its original position,the stop-bar will assume its normal position by gravity and the lip 44,carried thereby, will descend into the slot 35. As the lowermost one ofthe cardboard strips is thus moved forwardly or started out of the chuteit passes between the pairof bars 71,car rying the guide-strips 72,whichpair of bars 71 are normally held apart by the action of the expansivecoil-spring 73. With the next rotation of the shaft 9 the elongatedportion of the eccentric 17 strikes the roller 27, thus actuating thebell-crank 25 and causing the rod 30 to-lower aslight distance. Whensaid rod 30 of the rock-shaft 68 between the attened por-- tions 69thereof bear against the oppositelyarranged antifriction-rollers 74,thus throwing the same apart and causing the opposite ends of the bars71 to close and grip upon the forward end of the lowermost one of thecardboard strips or the one that has been started from the chute Theinstant after this operation takes place the shorter face of theeccentric 17 strikes the roller 32, and as a result of this engagementthe shaft 23 is slightly rocked. The lower end of the bar24, carried bythe shaft 23, is moved forwardly a short distance, and thusA the bars71, which now perform the function of feeding-fingers, are movedforwardly toward the die-plate, carrying with them the lowermostcardboard strip. When the rollers 27 and 32 ride off from the highportion of the double eccentric 17, the rock-shaft 68 returns to itsnormal position simultaneous with the rearward movement or the return toits normal position of the rod 65. Thus the lowermost cardboard strip isfed onto the die-plate intermittently, and the double eccentric 17 is soarranged upon the shaft 9 relative to the eccentric 18, that controlsthe movement of the die 6, as that said die 6 passes into the die-plateand cuts the card from the cardboard strip the instant that saidcardboard strip comes to a stop in its rearward movement, and during thetime the die 6 passes downwardly through the cardboard strip to cut thecard therefrom and While it is being elevated the clamping-fingers orthe bars 7l are returning to their forward position to again engage thecardboard strip and move the same rearwardly while the die is above andout of said card.

It is essential that the double eccentric be so constructed as that theclamping-fingers lOO IOS

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engage the card at the instant the die starts through said card and alsoat the instant that said die is elevating said card. This insures aperfectly-cut card, and the cards can be cut from the cardboard stripwith very little Waste. The Waste or that portion of the strip thatremains after the cards have been cut therefrom is engaged by the pairof clamping bars or fingers 76n and discharged at a point behind themachine.

There is one more tooth in the ratchet- Wheel 5G than there are cardsthat are cut from a single strip, the pin 64 on said ratchetwheel 56being directly opposite the eXtra tooth. Consequently the die 6 Willpass through the die-plate without cutting a card from the strip justafter the strip has passed beneath said die and While the feedingmechanism is starting a new cardboard strip out from the chute 36.

Cardboard strips of dierent lengths may be passed through my improvedmachine by merely making use of a ratchet-Wheel 56 corresponding to thenumber of cards that can be cut from a cardboard strip. By means of theknife-edged plate 5S and the adjustable plate 3S but a single cardboardstrip is started from the chute at a time. Therefore the machine cannotbecome choked or inoperative by the feeding in of more than one strip ata time.

A card-cutting machine of my improved construction is applicable forcutting all kinds of round-cornered cards, is positive in action,automatic in feed, and very rapidly accomplishcs the Work required.

I claiml. In a card-cutting machine, the combination With a suitablecard-cuttin g die, of a cardboard-strip chute supporting strips ofcardboard, mechanism for feeding said cardboard in communication withthe die, and an adjustable feeding device operated by said mechanism fordelivering the cardboard strips immediately after one strip has passedfrom beneath the die, substantially as specified.

2. In a card-cutting machine, the combination with a suitablecard-cutting die, of an intermittent cardboard-strip-feeding mechanism,a cardboard-strip chute, suitable meehanism for starting the lowermostone of the cardboard strips out of said chute, and mechanism whereby thelast-mentioned cardboardstrip-delivering mechanism is operated once toas many movements of the intermittent cardboard-strip-fceding mechanismas there are cards to be cut from a single cardboard strip,substantially as specified.

3. In a card-cutting machine, a suitable frame, a horizontal shaftarranged for rotation in said frame, vertically-moving cardcutting diesoperated from said shaft, double eccentrics located upon said shaft,mechanism operated by said eccentrics for feeding a cardboard stripbeneath the dies, a suitablylocated ratchet-wheel, a pin projecting fromthe face of said ratchet-Wheel, suitable mechanism for transmitting therotary motion of the shaft to said ratchet-wheel, and suitable mechanismoperated by said ratchet-wheel for delivering a cardboard strip from thechute to the intermittent cardboard-strip feed, substantially asspecified.

i. In a card-cutting machine, a cardboard strip-feeding mechanism,comprising a sliding rod, means for imparting movement to said rod,clamping-fingers hinged upon said rod, a rock-shaft for actuating theclampingfingers, and means for imparting movement to said rock-shaft,substantially as specified.

5. In a card-cutting machine, a cardboardstrip-feeding mechanismconstructed with a sliding rod, means for actuating said sliding rod,pairs of clamping-fingers carried by said rod, a rock-shaft, the samebeing provided at certain points with fiattened surfaces,antifriction-rollers carried by the rear ends of the clamping-iingers,which rollers ride upon said flattened surfaces, and suitable mechanismfor operating the rock-shaft the instant after motion has been impartedto the sliding rod, substantially as specified.

6. In a card-cutting machine, a cardboardstrip chute, mechanism forfeeding the lowermost one of the cardboard strips from said chute, anadjustable gage arranged immediately in front of said chute, a fulcrumedstop arranged in a transverse slot in front of said gage, a bevel-facedlug integral with one end of said stop, and a depression-inger carriedby the cardboard-strip-delivering mechanism for engaging said lug,substantially as specitied.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE GOI-ILKE.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, ALBERT J. MCCAULEY.

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